Kullu: The monsoon has claimed 163 lives in Himachal Pradesh so far this year, 93 of which were in rain-related road accidents. Other deaths were due to landslides, house cave-ins, rockfalls, flash floods, and snakebites.Lahaul-Spiti is the worst hit with 14 deaths, followed by Kangra with 12 casualties, Chamba and Shimla with nine each and Kullu with eight deaths. This season, landslides have claimed 14 lives, while 23 people died due to falls.Around 257 people have also been injured this monsoon.The cumulative damage between June 30 and Aug 11 has been assessed at Rs 910 crore. Damage to PWD infrastructure alone stood at Rs 686 crore, accounting for 75% of the total loss.This year’s death toll, grim as it is, is slightly lower than the 180+ deaths during the corresponding period last year. The final monsoon toll in Himachal in 2025 was 448.Meanwhile, the mountainous state is bracing for more rainfall. An orange alert has been sounded, and rain-triggered landslides and rockfalls have blocked 204 roads.The Mandi-Kullu and Mandi-Pathankot highways are among the major routes affected, but Kullu and Mandi districts reported the worst impact. In Anni, two cars were hit by boulders, injuring two persons.The Mandi-Kullu national highway was blocked near Jhalogi after rocks continued to fall from the hillside. Police stopped traffic as a precaution, stranding vehicles near the Hanogi tunnel, Pandoh Dam and towards Mandi.Clearance work was also halted due to the continued threat of rockfall. The highway reopened in the afternoon, but traffic remained impacted by rockfalls, leading to its closure again in the evening.The alternate Bajaura-Kataula-Kamand road that connects Kullu with Mandi also remained blocked on Tuesday. The Mandi-Pathankot highway was also closed near Talghar Urla after a landslide.All educational institutions in the Kullu subdivision, including schools and colleges, were closed by the administration on Tuesday in view of the heavy rain alert and risk of flash floods.
